


nothing to control us (our futures at our feet)

by humanluke



Series: slutty scholar au [9]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Difficult Decisions, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:00:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29636388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanluke/pseuds/humanluke
Summary: calum has to make a decision.
Relationships: Luke Hemmings/Calum Hood
Series: slutty scholar au [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2153763
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	nothing to control us (our futures at our feet)

**Author's Note:**

> does she ever stop? no. she doesn't. hello once again friends, back again with another part of the slutty scholar au! this is from the promt "give and take, that's life" from [molly](http://staticsounds.tumblr.com) my wonderful wife. thank you to my OTHER wife [brooke](http://blackbutterfliescal.tumblr.com) for proofreading for me! love you lots.
> 
> title is from summer daze (seasons, pt. 2) by all time low!
> 
> enjoy <3

Calum sighs as he looks at the letter sitting on the table. He doesn’t know what he’s going to do right now -- sure, he’s excited. He’s worked so hard to find a school that would take him after the mess here at Columbia. And it was _Stanford_ for fuck’s sake. One of his top picks before he’d settled on Columbia. They were willing to give him a second chance at this thing he’d been working so hard towards until it had been ruined by manipulation, and his heart was torn. 

This was his calling, his passion. But he was _happy_ here. Sure, he worked at a bar and barely made ends meet right now. But here had Luke. Luke was the only thing that had gotten him through these last few months. So he was on the fence on what he was going to do. 

He knew what the right choice was, sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s what’s going to make him happy. Surely it will make him happy in the long run (and he can stop boring Luke with his tangents about string theory). But he knows it’ll put a strain on his and Luke’s relationship, him being on the other side of the country and the three hour time difference. He couldn’t possibly ask Luke to up and move across the country with him either -- they’d only been together six months. He couldn’t ask for that kind of commitment. 

He’s still trying to weigh his options, in the middle of making a pros and cons list on the whiteboard on his living room wall when Luke lets himself in the door, tapping the marker against his mouth as he looks it over. Luke toes off his sneakers in the doorway, stopping in the kitchen before making his way over to Calum as he snakes his arms around his middle, his chin dropping onto his shoulder. 

“Whatcha doing?” he hums, looking over the pros and cons list, pressing his glasses up his nose. He’s warm from the summer air, and it feels a little nice in contrast to the cool air from the air conditioner. Calum hums in response, leaning back against Luke and noting that lack of Luke’s cuddles should be on the list of cons. 

“Making a pros and cons list,” he says in response, capping the dry erase marker. The thinking can be left for later. Luke’s here now, that’s where his focus should be. “How was work?” 

“Good,” he hums softly. “Still trying to pick between my real job offers. But I brought you coffee from the shop. Emily and Amanda send their love.” Calum chuckles a little bit at the remark from his favorite baristas. “What’s the pros and cons list for?” Calum catastrophizes for a beat, having to make a quick pros and cons list in his head on whether or not to tell Luke. He settles on not lying to him, however. 

“Whether or not I should take this offer for a new PHD candidacy,” he settles on. Luke beams up at him, arms tightening around his middle as he presses a kiss to Calum’s cheek. Calum tries not to dwell on how this happy moment was going to be short lived.

“Of course you should take it, Cal,” he says with a grin. “You’ve been working so hard to find somewhere that would take you. What school is it?” Calum sighs softly, setting the marker on the lip of the white board, pulling himself free from Luke’s grip. Luke pouts a little bit at the loss of him.

“Stanford,” he says, looking up at the board with a frown. He can hear the way Luke deflates a little bit at the words. “Hence the pros and cons list.” He knows how much Luke loves New York, and he loves it too. California is an entirely different world from it, and Calum is hesitant to even think about offering for Luke to come with him. 

“I still think you should take it,” Luke says quietly. “They’re one of the best schools, Cal, you can’t just give up an opportunity like this.” Calum looks over his shoulder to Luke, and he can see the sadness in his eyes, but there’s understanding there too. 

“I don’t get why the universe wants to keep fucking doing this to me,” Calum grumbles. “I get kicked out of my program at Columbia… but I meet you the same day. I finally get settled into this relationship with you, I’m finally fucking happy, and then I get an offer to go to my _dream_ school, but it’s on the other fucking end of the country.” He sighs as he plops himself down onto the couch, head in his hands. “Give and take. That’s life, isn’t it?” 

Luke hesitates for a moment before settling on the couch next to Calum, his hand soothing over his back gently. “Just because you’re going to Stanford -- and trust me, you’re fucking going, that’s not even a debate, Cal -- that doesn’t mean you’re going to lose me,” Luke says gently. “You’ve worked too hard to get back into a program to throw it all away because you’ve made yourself comfortable here.” 

“It’s not just that,” Calum sighs. “I can’t afford to move myself all the way to California, Luke. Hence the pros and cons list.” He gestures back to the whiteboard with a sigh. “I want to go, I do. You’re the number one thing keeping me here, sure, but there’s other obstacles too.” Luke chews on his bottom lip a little bit, sinking back into the couch with Calum. 

“Let me help then,” Luke offers. Calum opens his mouth to protest, but Luke continues. “No, no fighting me on this. Listen to me.” He takes Calum’s hands into his own. “I love you so fucking much and you deserve this more than anything else. I’m more than willing to give up New York if it means that I get to see you happy.” Calum softens a little bit, squeezing Luke’s hands in return. 

“You’d come with me?” he asks softly. Luke laughs a little bit, leaning in and pressing a chaste kiss to Calum’s mouth. 

“Don’t be stupid, Cal,” he says. “I would follow you anywhere. Besides, California’s nice. Lots of schools I could work at there. I could be just as happy there with you as I am here. As long as we can come back and visit occasionally.” Calum’s heart swells, and for a moment he thinks that he might even cry with how much he loves Luke. 

“God, I fucking love you so much,” he says with a laugh. “But I still don’t know how you expect us to afford to move to California.” Luke smiles a little bit at him.

“Well, lucky for _you_ , I don’t pay rent since Ashton’s family owns our building, so I have plenty of money saved,” he says with a soft grin. “I think we’ll be able to find something to our liking before classes start, yeah?” Calum just shakes his head incredulously as Luke pulls himself up from the couch, squeezing his hand. 

“I love you so much,” Calum repeats, shaking his head in disbelief. “I don’t want you to spend all your money moving across the country, but if you want to come with me, there’s really no stopping you, is there?” Luke’s mouth quirks up into a grin. 

“Is there ever stopping me?” he hums. “Now come on, there’s coffee waiting for us in the kitchen. We have celebrating to do!” Calum just smiles as he lets Luke tug him along, and thinks that maybe moving across the country together will be good for them. For now, they’ll just take it one day at a time.

**Author's Note:**

> come find me on [tumblr](http://cakelftv.tumblr.com)!


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